Cover -- Half-title -- Title -- Copyright -- Contents -- Preface -- Table of cases -- 1 Introduction: the usable past -- 1. Precedent -- 2. Positivism and precedent -- 3. A theory of precedent? -- 2 Why does English law have a doctrine of precedent? -- 1. The formation of a doctrine of precedent -- a. The ambiguous role of classical legal positivism -- b. Precedent and reason -- 3 Precedents as reasons -- 1. Looking for a certain ratio -- a. The complexity of case-law -- b. Definitions and tests -- c. The point of the search -- 2. Shortcuts to reason -- 3. Pre-emptive precedent? -- 4. Conclusion -- 4 Distinguishing, overruling and the problem of self-reference -- 1. Distinguishing -- 2. Overruling -- 3. The power to overrule oneself -- 4. The authority of the Practice Statement -- a. Constitutional impropriety -- b. 'Believe me, I always lie' -- 5 Why follow precedent? -- 1. Consequentialist justifications -- 2. Deontological arguments -- 3. Conclusion -- Index.